A Nuisance. Lass Small

Szyszko instructed, “You scare hiccups!” But he took his wife out of the room.

      It was only then that Stefan realized Carrie had cut off just about all of her magical hair! He was stunned. She’d done that?

      He stared at her. And in all that bedlam, she slid her eyes over and returned his stare. Then she turned away from him and rejoined the chattering laughter.

      With Mrs. Szyszko gone from the room, Pat Vernon suggested to Minnie, “Hiccup. We’ll figure out a way to scare you.”

      She was used to them and declined the entertainment.

      Pat chided, “You’re selfish.”

      Stefan thought that exactly identified Carrie. She’d selfishly kept her body to herself and now she’d cut off her hair. How come he hadn’t noticed that right away? He hadn’t because she was magical. A man was so stunned by her aura that he didn’t immediately notice detail. She’d cut off her hair!

      No man should get involved with a woman like her. And he watched her through slitted eyes as she laughed and hushed and chided the teasing men.

      They were after her. They had no chance at all. Then...why was she laughing thataway?

      Stefan strolled casually over and positioned himself beside Carrie. He would protect her. She was not alone. He was there. He proceeded to give various males his deadly, narrow-eyed cut it out right now look.

      They ignored him.

      Stefan sighed. He’d obviously never appeared to be the formidable threat he knew he was.

      When Carrie tried to leave his side, Stefan took her arm in his hand and asked through clenched teeth, “Why’d you cut off your hair?”

      She carelessly rumpled what was left. It was thick and ducktailed charmingly under her hands, but her mouth said...she actually said, “You told me to.”

      He gasped in indignation! But at the same time, he clearly remembered goading her with the false statement that the guys had all said she ought to cut her hair.

      So she had!

      Women were excruciatingly stupid.

      She smiled at him and said, “See? Is this better?” And she had the gall to wait for his reply.

      Stefan was stilled by appalled shock! The other men heard her question and got to crowd around her and touch her head and ruffle her hair, what was left of it. But Stefan was unable to move or comment because he was still in the speechless, staring stage.

      With Carrie’s hair cut off that way, attention was drawn to her luscious body. The men had always stared at her body, but then they could alibi, “Her hair is really something.” And they discussed and touched her hair, but they looked at the rest of her.

      Under the jocular byplay of the mob, Stefan could quietly ask the wicked woman, “You drawing attention to yourself?”

      “Not that I’m aware.”

      “You cut your hair so’s men would notice your body?”

      She looked down at her gorgeously refined shape and had the sass to question, “This old thing?” But she glanced up at him and her eyes were serious and rather cold.

      He shivered.

      So she asked, “What’s the matter with you?”

      “You’re freezing me out.”

      She tilted back her head and said through her teeth, right there in his parents’ living room, “You discarded me.”

      “When?”

      She stopped her tongue, which was about to give the exact day count, before she replied, “Some time ago.”

      Stefan frowned and squinted as he tried to recall doing any such thing. “I don’t recall doing anything like that.”

      “You did. You walked out on me and you shut the door.”

      She turned and left him in the silent room where people were laughing and gesturing and enjoying each other’s humor. Stefan was alone in a vacuum.

      How was he to recapture her attention? She didn’t answer her phone. She wouldn’t talk to him. She was snippy and aloof. How could he reach her?

      Women were a pushover for any injury. He needed to bleed. His parents’ house had been an injury-proof haven since their first son was born. Now, how could Stefan get a wound there? He signaled Jeff with a backward move of his head. His friend came over.